Coming To Terms
by kravitzkid
Summary: A family crisis brings two people together.


Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. Never Have, Never Will.  
  
Rating: PG, light swearing  
  
A/N: Same universe as "Homecoming", but set a few years earlier. I suggest reading that first, if you haven't already.  
  
Kendall Logan sat near the lake with her knees pulled up to her chest, rocking slowly. It was taking most of her strength to keep the skies as clear as possible. She found that she wasn't doing the best possible job at it and thick, ominous clouds were blanketing the sky, patches of moonlight shone through every now and then. Instead of the fear and anxiety coursing through her, Kendall tried to focus on the smooth surface of the lake.  
  
It had been a long night.  
  
Kendall still saw vivid images of the evening's events in her mind's eye. Charles Xavier's voice in her head, rousing her from a deep sleep and demanding that she go down to the medical unit...  
  
Frantically, running down four flights of stairs, half dressed, nearly killing herself with the effort...  
  
The sight of Colossus carrying a body into the medical unit, her mothers' eyes widening in horror...  
  
Hank and Jean doing the best they could...someone yelling about too much blood loss...  
  
Another voice, probably her mother's, suggesting a transfusion...  
  
Kendall screwed up her eyes as the situation played itself over and over in her mind. She tried to shut out the fear, the anger, and the sense of helplessness that was ravaging her body at the moment. She couldn't afford to lose control, enough damage had been done for one night.  
  
"Your mother sent me to check on you." Lucas Bishop had turned up next to Kendall and in her own misery, she hadn't even noticed his arrival until he finally spoke. Hearing his voice surprised her and she looked up at him briefly before turning her attention back towards the lake.  
  
Bishop noticed the tension in his best friends' body and sat down next to her. Kendall's hair had escaped the messy bun in the back of her head and now hung limply down her back. She was wearing a large t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Her bare arms were the only things covering her legs from the suddenly chilly summer air. Kendall's toes were buried in the dirt of the lakebed. An abnormally cold breeze came across the lake, ruffling Kendall's hair as her lifted her head.  
  
"How is he?" she whispered softly.  
  
The strain in Kendall's voice made Bishop uneasy and he absently scratched his denim clad thighs before responding.  
  
"Stable, finally. Jean said that your blood really helped, but it's just a matter of time now."  
  
Kendall sighed and shivered a little. Bishop knew it wasn't from the cold. He looked up at the sky and noticed that the cloud cover seemed to thin out a little as he watched.  
  
"It's okay to talk about it, you know. You don't have to hold back like this." Bishop stated. Kendall made a non-committal grunt and he continued.  
  
"I know I wouldn't be acting like everything's fine if my father came home in that condition."  
  
"He'll be okay." Kendall said, more to herself that anyone else.  
  
"If you really believe that, then why did you bolt like that after Hank pulled that needle out of your arm?" Bishop asked softly.  
  
Kendall shivered again and the clouds thickened slightly.  
  
"How's my mother holding up?" She inquired.  
  
"As far as I can tell, she's worried sick, but won't show it. After Jean kicked everybody out, She sat next to your old man and started singing to him in Arabic."  
  
Kendall smiled briefly, but her expression soured again quickly. "She knows he'll pull through. She's been through this before."  
  
Bishop nodded in agreement until another though struck him.  
  
"Is that what's wrong?" He asked.  
  
"What?" Kendall looked at him in confusion.  
  
"You've never seen you father up shit creek like this and your scared. That's what." Bishop replied calmly.  
  
Kendall was going to scream at him in reply, but something stopped her. That's exactly what the problem was. In her entire life, Kendall had never seen her father injured in such a severe way. It was probably the first time she's ever admitted to herself that, as unlikely as it seemed at times, He was just as mortal as anyone else. He was going to die at some point, it was just much harder than usual to tell when.  
  
Bishop knew when Kendall's sudden realization happened because the clouds got darker, and lightning flashed inside them. He looked over at her and saw that she was still fighting off her tears. She was refusing to let herself cry.  
  
"It's okay. Stop holding back, it's not good for you." Bishop said softly. Kendall trembled again and hid her face in her hands. The clouds now became dangerously black and thunder was rumbling fiercely. Bishop adjusted his position and moved behind Kendall. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged as best he could.  
  
That was apparently all Kendall could withstand. Icy, cold rain began pouring from the heavens as if someone had tipped over a bucket. Bishop shielded his face from the onslaught by burring his nose in Kendall's damp hair. He inhaled deeply and noted that she smelled like the forest after a thunderstorm. Instinctively, Bishop hugged her tighter. Kendall shifted and rested her face in his chest. Her arms hung limply and her hands rested on Bishop's thighs. Suddenly, the rain got warmer and Kendall's shoulders began to shake with her sobbing. Bishop rested his chin on her head and rocked gently. Kendall's crying could barley be heard over the roaring thunder and pounding rain.  
  
They stayed in this position for a long time. Kendall venting her frustrations, mumbling to herself as she cried. Bishop holding on and silently praying for his best friend's piece of mind. He barely noticed when her crying slowly faded because the rain scarcely let up. After a while, Bishop looked down and realized that Kendall had fallen asleep on his chest. The rain had soaked her shirt totally and he could see the smooth curve of her breasts rising and falling with her breathing. Suddenly feeling awkward at their position, Bishop decided that it was time to go. He tried to get up, but realized that he couldn't move without disturbing Kendall. Sighing to himself, Bishop somehow managed to cradle Kendall's body in his arms and get to his feet. She moaned lightly as the rain hit her face and it instantly began to taper off. Kendall made herself more comfortable in Bishop's arms by folding her arms across her chest. Bishop silently marveled at Kendall's control of her powers as he made his way towards the mansion.  
  
After what felt like a long time, Bishop had somehow managed to get Kendall back to her room. He gently laid her down on top of the blankets and grabbed another from her windowsill to cover her with. Bishop tossed the blanket over Kendall's sleeping form and tucked it around her as best he could. He hadn't realized how close he was to her face until he looked up to check that she was still asleep. Bishop's breath caught in his throat. Even with the strained look that covered her features, Kendall was still an incredible sight. Her hair was loosely tossed about, her face looked worn, but peaceful. Her lips were parted slightly, and Bishop could see a little bit of her tongue. Bishops' attention was fully placed on her lips, and before her realized what he was doing, he kissed her softly. He pulled away quickly, but Kendall just moaned again and turned over onto her side. Bishop sighed deeply. He got up from over Kendall's bed and hastily made his way toward the door. Bishop was nearly free when her heard her voice calling his name. He turned and saw Kendall looking at him, her eyes barely open in the darkness.  
  
"Thank you." She said quietly.  
  
Bishop swallowed nervously. "I'm sorry, but I just..."  
  
"Thank You." Kendall said again, halting Bishop's stammering.  
  
He looked at her briefly and smiled. "Anytime." He replied and slipped out the door. 


End file.
